diff --git a/test/helper.janet b/test/helper.janet
index 0d97265b..fff58e89 100644
--- a/test/helper.janet
+++ b/test/helper.janet
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 (var suite-num 0)
 (var start-time 0)
 
+(def is-verbose (os/getenv "VERBOSE"))
+
 (defn assert
   "Override's the default assert with some nice error handling."
   [x &opt e]
@@ -15,7 +17,7 @@
   (def truncated
     (if (> (length e) 40) (string (string/slice e 0 35) "...") (describe e)))
   (if x
-    (eprintf "\e[32m✔\e[0m %s: %v" truncated x)
+    (when is-verbose (eprintf "\e[32m✔\e[0m %s: %v" truncated x))
     (eprintf "\n\e[31m✘\e[0m %s: %v" truncated x))
   x)
 
@@ -32,10 +34,10 @@
 (defn start-suite [x]
   (set suite-num x)
   (set start-time (os/clock))
-  (eprint "\nRunning test suite " x " tests...\n  "))
+  (eprint "Running test suite " x " tests..."))
 
 (defn end-suite []
   (def delta (- (os/clock) start-time))
-  (eprintf "\n\nTest suite %d finished in %.3f seconds" suite-num delta)
-  (eprint num-tests-passed " of " num-tests-run " tests passed.\n")
+  (eprintf "Test suite %d finished in %.3f seconds" suite-num delta)
+  (eprint num-tests-passed " of " num-tests-run " tests passed.")
   (if (not= num-tests-passed num-tests-run) (os/exit 1)))
diff --git a/test/suite0007.janet b/test/suite0007.janet
index f24aa1a1..aedc8b8f 100644
--- a/test/suite0007.janet
+++ b/test/suite0007.janet
@@ -308,8 +308,9 @@
 (assert (deep= (range 4) a) "eachk 1")
 
 
-(tracev (def my-unique-var-name true))
-(assert my-unique-var-name "tracev upscopes")
+(with-dyns [:err @""]
+  (tracev (def my-unique-var-name true))
+  (assert my-unique-var-name "tracev upscopes"))
 
 (assert (pos? (length (gensym))) "gensym not empty, regression #753")
 
diff --git a/test/suite0010.janet b/test/suite0010.janet
index 2550361c..6f8e0d73 100644
--- a/test/suite0010.janet
+++ b/test/suite0010.janet
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@
 (def step1 "(a b c d)\n")
 (def step2 "(a b)\n")
 (def p1 (parser/new))
-(pp (parser/state p1))
+(parser/state p1)
 (parser/consume p1 step1)
 (loop [v :iterate (parser/produce p1)])
 (parser/state p1)